Three weeks after Chief Minister Hemant Soren and two Ministers took oath of office, the JMM-led Government has geared up for Cabinet expansion on Sunday. As many as six MlAs will take oath of office at Raj Bhawan's Birsa Mandap, though the State Cabinet will still fall short of three Ministers as the full strength of the Cabinet Ministers in Jharkhand is 12.
The four Ministers from JMM and one Minister each from the Congress and the RJD are expected to be sworn in. Former Ministers Hazi Hussain Ansari and Champai Soren alongwith Mandu MlA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel and litipara MlA Simon Marandi will take oath of office from the JMM's quota of five. Congress MlA Gitashree Oraon and RJD MlA Suresh Paswan will also be new members in Hemant's cabinet.
As per the agreement among the coalition partners, the JMM and the Congress had the quota of five Ministers each and RJD was allotted two ministerial berths. However, the names could not be finalised due to internal bickering in both the Congress and the JMM. And, most importantly pressure from independent MlAs for ministerial berths played a spoilsport as they also demanded representation in the Government.
JMM insiders revealed that former Ministers Mathura Mahto and Hemlal Murmu could not secure their berths as they were considered to have adopted a pro-Arjun Munda stand in the former Government. Mandu MlA Patel is the son of late Teklal Mahto, who was a senior leader of the JMM and was very close to party chief Shibu Soren. litipara MlA Simon Marandi, who has been lobbying for a ministerial berth since 2009, is a loyal colleague of Sr Soren.
With the swearing in of RJD MlA, the quota of the party will be filled but the Congress seems to be in a fix as it is under immense pressure from Independents for ministerial berths. After Sunday's Cabinet expansion three more berths of Congress quota will remain vacant and that may again take a couple of weeks' time to be finalised.
Meanwhile, weeks of intense maneuvering with the tribal card they have in hand Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch MlA Bandhu Tirkey and Bishunpur MlA Chamra linda from Rashtriya Kalyan Paksha seem to have forced Congress to finally open its gates for them. As per information coming in the duo is set to join the Congress very soon in a bid to "secure the interests of the tribal community of the State".
"We have put the agenda of the interests of the tribal communities of the State. It is up to them to decide now. I will take decision only after the Congress takes a decision. The ball is in their court now," said Bandhu. "I may join the party. It totally depends on them. Certainly, I have put some riders," he added when asked about putting conditions for joining the party. But Congress insiders hinted that both Tirkey and linda were vying for ministerial berths and that was their only rider to join the party.
State Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat said on the matter that the duo had put forth their contentions before the State incharge and other senior leaders of the Congress high command. "Talks were on with them (Bandhu and Chamra) since long. They had expressed their willingness to join the party and put their points for betterment of the tribal population. It is not only ministerial berth issue its about schools and colleges in rural areas and lots of other things," Bhagat said, adding that the talks (Between the independents and the High Command) have remained very fruitful.
Bandhu though denied any specific dates for joining the party said that it will take at least a week's time. "I will not announce my joining the party at the AICC. I will rather do it at Morhabadi Ground, in front of the common masses," he said.